Fate’s Role in “Romeo and Juliet”
In William Shakespeare’s play, “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet”, fate plays one of the largest roles in the plot. In order to understand how fate plays a role it is important to examine how the story begins, when Romeo meets Juliet, and when Romeo fights Tybalt after Tybalt kills Mercutio.
One reason why fate plays a big role is that the play begins by hinting that Romeo and Juliet will be affected by fate. The chorus begins the play by giving the general idea of the story. He explains to the audience that Romeo and Juliet are doomed from the start. “From the fatal loins of these two foes, a pair of star-crossed lovers take their life.” (Prologue, 5-6). The chorus says that
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Romeo becomes convinced that Juliet is the most beautiful creature he has ever seen and ever will see. “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.” (I, 5, 57-58). Romeo says that his heart has never loved before that moment and that his eyes confirm that Juliet is truly a beauty to be sought. This quote shows how Romeo quickly forgets his lovesickness for Rosaline and falls deeply in love with Juliet. He says that he has never loved before showing that by fate directing Romeo to the party and Juliet to his heart, that fate brings Romeo and Juliet together.
Another example of how fate plays a role in the play is when Romeo must fight Tybalt after Mercutio’s death. Romeo is in Verona after seeing his best friend, Mercutio, die at the hands of Tybalt. Romeo says that he has to kill Tybalt because Tybalt has slain Mercutio. Romeo is overcome with rage and tries to do to Tybalt, what Tybalt had done to Mercutio. “This days black fate on mo days doth depend; this but begins the woe that others must end.” (III, 1, 126-127). Romeo says that fate has “blackened” the day and he must do something that he senses will end in tragedy. Romeo believes that he has to do this but he knows that the end of it will come back to haunt him. He realizes that this only begins the tragedy that is set upon him. He knows that by killing Tybalt others will die to bring peace. This shows that fate is constantly
In William Shakespeare's tragic play Romeo and Juliet, there are four quotes about fate and choice. The characters in the play choose their own fate, it happens because of their choices or actions. First, in the beginning of the play Romeo and Juliet are referred to as 'a pair of star-crossed lovers' (Romeo and Juliet, Prologue). Second, Romeo explains to Mercutio how he has a dream that if he goes to the Montague party he will die, but Romeo chooses to go to the party anyway. Third, Romeo kills Tybalt right after his marriage to Juliet. Fourth, Romeo decides to commit suicide because he hears of Juliet's death.
Romeo and Juliet' was written during a period when Shakespeare had found the strength of his writing, it is believed that it was written around 1595 and he would have been about 26 years old when he wrote it. The play is a widely known tragedy concerning the fate of two young "star-cross'd lovers". It is one of the most famous of Shakespeare's plays and one of his earliest theatrical triumphs.
In addition to reigning over their love lives, fate also causes the downfall of Romeo and Juliet. Near the end of the play, it appears Romeo and Juliet have a significant
Fate is a hidden, but unavoidable force that leads to certain consequences in people’s lives. The theme of fate plays a crucial role in the main characters of the play, Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet share a destiny that dooms them to tragic deaths immediately after the exchange of their zealous love. Despite their resolute attempts to challenge their destiny, the lovers still succumb to the inexorable powers of fate. In the Shakespearean play, Romeo and Juliet, the principle of fate propels the lovers together with infatuation, tears them apart through a bitter demise, yet, ensures peace in Verona for many future generations.
Fate was the fundamental factor that led to the suicides of Romeo and Juliet. It is present throughout the entire play, setting the scene for the tragic events to take place. Two scenarios which show that fate played an imperative role in Romeo and Juliet’s deaths are when Romeo read the ball invite which was addressed to someone else and when Friar John had to stop while delivering Friar Lawrence’s message resulting in Balthasar reaching Romeo first. The first scenario is seen in the text where a servant of the Capulet family
In the book Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare, fate plays a large role in moving the plot along. It does this by bringing people together. Fate also plays a role in a couple people’s deaths, including the main characters, Romeo and Juliet.
In the play, Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare, is about two “star crossed” lovers who are destined to end in a tragic accident. Fate is the path that leads to the future and cannot be altered no matter the outcome. Set in Shakespearean time, fate was believed to be in control of people’s lives. The fact that Romeo and Juliet would never live a peaceful life, none of the tragedies would have not taken place if they had not met. In the prologue of the play, Shakespeare outlines that “two star’d crossed lovers take their life”. This foreshadowing creates the sense that fate shall claim superiority. The powerful nature of Romeo
Fate was foreshadowed to be an antagonist in the play Romeo and Juliet; even before the play started; it was foreshadowed in the prologue that the “star-crossed lovers” were “death-marked”. Fate impedes the union of a happy marriage between Romeo and Juliet by throwing many barricades in their way. One such barrier is their lineage; because Romeo is a Montague and Juliet is a Capulet, they are enemies by blood. Nevertheless, they
When telling the tragic, but beloved story of Romeo and Juliet from one of William Shakespeare’s many plays there are several characters in the story that could possibly be held responsible for the star-crossed lovers deaths. Three of those many characters should stand out more than others to blame for the beloved main characters deaths. These three characters are the Feud, Lady Capulet, and Fate. The Feud is one choice to blame because it it the cause of many other conflicts that take place in the story. While Lady Capulet does not cause as many conflicts as the Feud she does present one main problem to Juliet by pressuring her to get married to Paris as soon as possible. Lastly Fate is used many times in the play to explain why Romeo and
Fate has always been of interest to society, and even today, people continue to question whether someone’s life is destined for a certain fate, or if it is shaped by their own free-will. Such thoughts come into play throughout various acts and scenes of Shakespeare 's Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare’s play often strongly suggests that Romeo and Juliet’s relationship is built upon fate and free-will. There are many critics who argue fate is what makes up this play in its entirety due to the various fate related ideas evoked throughout it. Although fate does indeed play some roles in the shaping of Romeo and Juliet’s relationship, overall, it is free-will that plays a much greater role throughout their tragedy and is ultimately at work in this play.
Fate is defined as, ‘the development of events outside a person’s control, regarded as predetermined by a supernatural power’. In the time in which ‘Romeo and Juliet’ was written, many people were strong believers of fate and it was a common belief in society. William Shakespeare was a famous poet who is recognised for his powerful writing and contribution to the English language. One of William Shakespeare’s highly recognised plays is ‘Romeo and Juliet’ written in the late 1500’s. It is a play about two star-crossed lovers alongside fate who by their death end the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets. In ‘Romeo and Juliet’, Friar Laurence is not to blame for the tragic events which occurs in the play due to the fact that other
Finally, fate had a big impact on the future of Romeo and Juliet and was the
In the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet’s fate becomes death. In the story of Romeo and Juliet, two rivals fall in love with each other. At the end of Romeo and Juliet, Prince Escalus questions who is to blame for Romeo and Juliet’s death. While the ancient grudge of the Capulets and the Montagues and Friar Lawrence all take some responsibility for their death, Fate takes all the blame for the couple’s death because it is what brought them together in the first place. Fate believed only their deaths would bring an end to their family’s feud, and fate is why certain dilemmas occurred to make matters worse.
It is because of fate that they meet because Romeo says it himself. The final deaths of the lovers is the "consequence" that he is talking about and the bitterness that starts the pathway to their ultimate tragedy is their first encounter, since they are supposed to be opposing enemies. It is also evident that Romeo cannot make intelligent decisions for himself when he says: ?Tut, I have lost myself. I am not here. / This is not Romeo. He?s somewhere else.?(Romeo and Juliet I i, 205-206). Romeo says he is not himself and that his mind is off somewhere else. As fate would have it, Romeo rushes head on into situations that were out of his control .For these reasons, Romeo and Juliet's first meeting was sure to happen, fate being the most powerful force at work, determining their future.
Most of Shakespeare's plays are conceived around a foundation in either tragedy or comedy, this polarity of themes allowing him to experiment with the full range of human emotions. Typically, an integral part of a Shakespearean tragedy is love, which is frustrated by a breakdown in order, or the character of the hero, due to some human limitation. The play Romeo and Juliet has all these typical characteristics. However, the resultant conclusion of events for the characters in this tragedy is adversely affected by the hands of fate, and not solely the product of human limitations. Fate in fact has a decisive role in the events of the play; it is a series of rapid coincidental events, which lead to the final tragedy.